Mardi Gras Abelia

The Mardi Gras Abelia has uniquely colored flowers.  When new growth comes in during the spring the flowers have dark pink buds that eventually turn white.  The flowers bloom through summer and autumn.

The foliage is semi evergreen, meaning warmer climates it is evergreen and in colder climates it is not.  The leaves are variegated with a dark green color in the middle surrounded by its whitish tips.  The new growth foliage in the spring have pinkish tips.

 

This semi-evergreen compact shrub will eventually grow to about four to five feet tall and five to six feet wide at maturity. With light pruning in late spring, it can be easily kept lower. Its small variegated foliage creates a fine, but bright textured mound in the landscape.

 

Abelia x grandiflora Mardi Gras grows best in a best in a humus-rich, fertile, well drained soil. Plant it in full to partial sun, and although the variegation will not burn in full sun, it is better to keep this plant out of very hot locations. Regular watering encourages a full and lush shrub. Once established, it will tolerate short periods of drought. Little pruning is necessary other than the occasional removal of the oldest twiggy growth.

 

A festival of color splashes across the foliage of this compact semi-evergreen shrub. In spring, the new growth is tipped in bright pink which softens to a sparkling mound of creamy white and green leaves. In early summer, lightly fragrant shell pink flowers appear; these flowers dot the shrub extending its bloomtime from summer until early fall. Unlike many of the other variegated abelias, Mardi Gras is a strong grower and is not prone to losing its variegation over time.